Against Youth Violence

Luke Billingham is a youth and community worker at Hackney Quest and Research Associate at The Open University. Keir Irwin-Rogers is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at The Open University.

Introduction: Against Youth Violence and Against ‘Youth Violence’
A harmful society
Why are we ‘against youth violence’?
Structure and style
1. The Nature and Scale of Interpersonal Violence in Britain
Introduction
Sources of data: strengths and limitations
Interpersonal violence in England and Wales
Interpersonal violence in London
Conclusion
2. Developing an Approach to Social Harm
Introduction
Why not simply focus on ‘crime’ in children and young people’s lives?
From crime to social harm
Our approach to social harm
Conclusion
3. The Importance of Mattering in Young People’s Lives
Introduction
The importance of mattering
An insecure society? Social changes and global processes affecting young people’s sense of mattering in Britain today
Conclusion
4. Social Harm and Mattering in Young People’s Lives
Introduction
Poverty and inequality
Declining welfare support: under-resourced communities and social care systems
Schools and education
Unemployment and ‘marginal work’
Housing and homelessness
Harm and subjectivity, structure and agency
Relative prevalence of social harms
Conclusion
5. Social Harm, Mattering and Violence
Introduction
The functions of violence and the factors most commonly associated with it
Social harm, the struggle to matter and the propensity to engage in violence
Conclusion
6. Harmful Responses to ‘Youth Violence’
Introduction
An age-old mythology perennially resurfacing with ‘perpetual novelty’
Demonize them
Punish and control them
Save them
Conclusion
Conclusion: Towards a Less Harmful Society for Young People
Introduction
The central arguments of this book: social harm, mattering and violence between young people
2030: a near-future dystopia
The changes that we need to improve life for Britain’s young people
Address harm, reduce inequality, enhance care